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Indian rural women constitute a significant part of India’s workforce. Community and home based rural industries, spanning agricultural and domestic services sectors absorb majority of the rural women. Among the community and home based cottage industries agarbathi (incense sticks making), matchsticks, pickle-making, handlooms, forest products, handicraft making, etc employ a lot of women in rural areas.
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Agarbathi making in Mallanoor Village
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Agarbathi/incense stick making is a low-investment income generation activity for rural women. Many women in rural areas are engaged in agarbathi making as an income-generation activity. However, these women are caught in the control of the middlemen who take away most of their profits, leaving the women with meager incomes for their sustenance.
Through preliminary surveys in Kuppam in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, World Corps India identified several women in villages who are third generation agarbathi makers engaged in agarbathi making as an income generation activity.
In 2003, through its Public-Private Partnership Pogramme, World Corps India facilitated Sri Traders, a Bangalore-based private company to establish an agarbathi manufacturing unit in Kuppam. The main aim was to enhance the income levels of the women, educate and build their capacities leading to improvements in their social and economic status. With enhanced incomes from this activity women’s role in the family will become more participative and with continuous and sustainable incomes women tend to play a vital role in decision-making processes of their families, save for children’s education and health of the family members. Over a period of time, the quality of life of the women and their families improve.
Sri Traders, the Bangalore based agarbathi materials company has been manufacturing agarbathis for over 30 years. Mr.Niranjan Srinath Ranganath, a young entrepreneur himself, started the agarbathi manufacturing unit at Lakshmipuram village of Kuppam mandal in October 2003.
The manufacturing unit has employed women workers for the making of raw agarbathis. The unit is also giving raw materials for the production of agarbathis to more than 600 women who work on a part/full time basis of surrounding villages and are earning Rs.750/- to Rs.1,000/- per month.
Mr. Niranjan Srinath Ranganath says, “Presently the rate of production is 1.5 tonnes per week and our target is to reach 6 tonnes per week, we have a demand for supplying 20 tonnes finished agarbathies per week”.
The company’s branded product is called “Amogha (meaning superb) Incense Sticks” which has four different aromas of sandal, rose, jasmine and swing.
Mr. Ranganath, the Founder of Sri Traders had this to say about the Kuppam project, “I am a native of Ramakuppam and my aim was to serve the people of my native area and I am doing so by setting up this unit and directly impacting the lives of more than 600 families”.
Mrs.N. Manjula, Employee, Sri Traders says: “I was previously a house wife. I used to carry the rolled sticks (incense) all the way to the raw material provider and he used to pay me. I was earning Rs.100/- per week. After becoming an employee of Sri Traders I am earning a minimum of Rs.280/- per week. I did not stop with this but encouraged 15 women neighbors to take up this activity on a full time basis who previously used to work as
daily labourers in farms”.
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Mrs. Manjula making agarbathis
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Mrs.N. Manjula identified women of her village and formed them into a group of 15 members and initiated the members into the art of rolling the incense sticks. Recognizing her leadership abilities, she was promoted to train the women of different places in rolling the incense sticks. With her newly found abilities Mrs. N. Manjula is a role model woman leader in her community guiding other women like herself to the road of prosperity.
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